RUMOR: Own3D.tv to pull the plug

January 24, 2013

While unconfirmed as of yet by any of their representatives, reports are rolling in from multiple sources that game streaming site Own3D.tv may be shuttering within the next couple of weeks. The speculation originates from eSports site Cadred.org, who allegedly heard from “anonymous sources close to the situation” that the already flailing Own3D.tv was bound to sink, after a buy-out deal with Machinima fell through.

Own3D.tv has been under fire in recent weeks, with several unpaid streamers complaining of missed payments. The most notable of these complaints came from Destiny, a popular League Of Legends broadcaster, whose blog post entitled “Own3d.tv – a beginner’s guide to being an asshole” went into great length regarding how the site had failed to pay him for five straight months, frequent technical issues such as transcoder lag (which can affect the watchability of streams), and the general evasiveness of Oleg Kogut, Own3D.tv’s CEO, when contacted regarding these issues.

As of today, streaming and YouTube icon Athene has stated on his Facebook account that Own3D.tv is indeed set to vanish “within the next 2 weeks,” and several Own3D.tv regulars, including Destiny, have been migrating to Twitch.tv, the gaming-oriented spin-off of social streaming site Justin.tv.

Twitch.tv is already a thriving streaming community, hosting streams for established sites such as Giant Bomb, Gamespot, and Destructoid, as well as VGU.TV’s own channel, and regularly hosts events ranging from League Of Legends championships to the Rock Band charity event, Ümloud. Counter Logic Gaming and Azubu also announced a partnership recently, with plans to launch AzubuTV, another eSports streaming option, in the near future.